Catch-22 (1970)

A man is trying desperately to be certified insane during World War II, so he can stop flying missions.

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers:

Joseph Heller (based on the novel by), Buck Henry (screenplay by)

Stars:

Alan Arkin, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Arkin	...	Yossarian
Martin Balsam	...	Colonel Cathcart
Richard Benjamin	...	Major Danby
Art Garfunkel	...	Nately (as Arthur Garfunkel)
Jack Gilford	...	Doc Daneeka
Buck Henry	...	Colonel Korn
Bob Newhart	...	Major Major
Anthony Perkins	...	Chaplain Tappman
Paula Prentiss	...	Nurse Duckett
Martin Sheen	...	Dobbs
Jon Voight	...	Milo Minderbinder
Orson Welles	...	General Dreedle
Bob Balaban	...	Orr
Susanne Benton	...	Dreedle's WAC
Norman Fell	...	Sergeant Towser

Storyline

A bombardier in World War II tries desperately to escape the insanity of the war. However, sometimes insanity is the only sane way to cope with a crazy situation. Catch-22 is a parody of a "military mentality", and of a bureaucratic society in general.

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Plot Keywords:

year 1944 | bomber | based on novel | world war two | u.s. military | 

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Taglines:

The anti-war satire of epic proportions.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stacy Keach was originally cast as Colonel Cathcart when shooting started, but things did not work out, and Charles Grodin (who had already been cast as Captain Aarfy Aardvark) was asked to take over. As the part was written for an older man, old-age make-up was experimented with for a few days, until it was decided to cast Martin Balsam instead, and Grodin returned to his original part.

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Goofs

In the opening scene with Yossarian, Cathcart and Korn making their deal in the burned out tower, Yossarian turns around to them at a different point in his dialogue than in the reprise of this scene at the end of the film.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lt. Col. Korn, XO: [speaking to Yossarian] All you have to do is be our pal.
Colonel Cathcart: Say nice things about us.
Lt. Col. Korn, XO: Tell the folks at home what a good job we're doing. Take our offer Yossarian.
Colonel Cathcart: Either that or a court-martial for desertion.

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Connections

References Dumbo (1941)

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Soundtracks

Also sprach Zarathustra
(uncredited)
Written by Richard Strauss
Conducted by Fritz Reiner
(when Yossarian first sees Luciana)

User Reviews

Yossarian Lives!

Joseph Heller mentions in his introduction to the S & S Classics edition of Catch 22 that John Chancellor went around pasting stickers saying "Yossarian Lives" all around NBC studios in New York after having read the book.

One finds this enthusiasm understandable upon first reading of this classic novel (and it is a classic though it is a mess -- which is part of its charm). It is simultaneously funny and tragic, and this material fits naturally with the cinematic talents of Buck Henry and Mike Nichols. They achieve the same tone as Heller's book, but with requisite condensation (even if this film had been twice as long, it wouldn't have been able to capture everything in the book, which is not a condemnation).

The book runs in circles chronologically; so does the film. The book repeats the Catch 22 theme on almost every page (it is certainly the focus of most dialogue); the film isn't as rife with its references but is more explicit when invoking the Catch.

The tragedy of Snowden is a dramatic focal point for both; unfortunately, the film builds it up more (due to its comparative brevity) but falls short in explicating the relevance.

Fortunately the adaptation works incredibly well on several levels. In terms of characterization, Alan Arkin IS Yossarian, Anthony Perkins IS Chaplain Tappman, and Bob Newhart IS Major Major (albeit briefly). The dialogue, which closely follows the novel for the most part, works as well orally as in the written form. And the insanity of war, which underlies all of the book, is well represented.

As a creative work, this film is impossible to divorce from the book, which is difficult to say about many adaptations. As a creation of its own, it suffers some without knowledge of the base material, and as an adaptation of that material it is bound to disappoint fans of the original. There's that Catch again. Viewed with a balance between the two positions (if that's possible), it works extremely well and shows its depth with each viewing in the same way the book does with each reading.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

24 June 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Catch-22

Filming Locations:

Empalme, Sonora, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Filmways Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1